Thank you very much for joining me.
The wonderful Nick Ames has written a report in Oxford.
Karl Robinson: “We lost control of the game in the middle of the second half. I question if it was a free-kick for the first. I think the scream helped win it.
“My players did the club proud, we fought in all areas of the game. We did not look like a team so far apart from Arsenal. I am proud of them.”
Man of the match Eddie Nketiah: “We came here and knew it wouldn’t be easy. The pitch is tough to play on. We had to up the level and we did that in the second half.
“They wanted it to be a rushed high tempo game – we had to slow it down.
“The second one was a nice little dink, so that one probably pleased me more.”
It was all pretty routine. I did suggest Arsenal would win 2/3-0 so I will take that. Oxford just completely blunt in the final third, hence their League One struggles.
Full-time: Oxford 0-3 Arsenal
The Premier League leaders struggled for long periods but eventually their quality showed through thanks to three fine assists and finishes. Oxford, frankly, never looked like scoring.
90 mins: Two minutes added on.
88 mins: O’Donkor is tripped by Zinchenko. The teenage substitute is set to play at the Kassam tomorrow night in the FA Youth Cup. Not a bad week for the lad. Long heads the free-kick towards the corner but there is no power in his effort and Turner grabs hold.
86 mins: The win for Arsenal means they will play Manchester City in the fourth round. That should be a lively match at the Etihad.
84 mins: Johnson and Fleming are on for Oxford. A nice chance for them to play against Arsenal.
82 mins: Smith Rowe receives the ball in the box but takes a poor touch and then his shot is weak. He is unsurprisingly rusty.
White and Maquinhos are on for Arsenal. Tomiyasu and Vieira off.
“Hi Will,” says Justin Madson. “I am not sure if the holiday season being over has made me a curmudgeon, but it feels like nearly every whistle (or non-call) both players from each side are demonstratively yelling at the ref. Fifa could do with taking a moment away from whichever large money pile they are currently chasing to support their referees. They are people too, and as far as I know AI is barely okay at making offside calls, much less being able to replace real referees.”
80 mins: Arsenal are killing time by keeping possession and doing it with relative ease, even if the home fans think the press might win the ball back at any second.
78 mins: Oxford have worked really hard throughout but they have found out in three key moments how much quality Arsenal possess.
GOAL! Oxford 0-3 Arsenal (Nketiah, 76)
Arsenal break on Oxford through Martinelli, he holds the ball and slides the pass through for Nketiah at the perfect time, allowing the striker to take a touch and calmly dink over the goalkeeper. I think in a VAR world, that goal would be chalked off for offside. Oh well.
Updated
74 mins: Oxford win a corner on the left but in the meantime some changes need to be made.
Saka is down on the turf and looks like his game is over. Smith Rowe will replace him.
Oxford are bringing on Goodrham and O’Donkor.
72 mins: Are we accepting that is game over? I cannot see Oxford scoring twice here.
Two moments of quality from Vieira have made the difference thus far because the rest of the game has been poor.
Updated
GOAL! Oxford 0-2 Arsenal (Nketiah, 70)
Vieira slides the ball through the defence for Nketiah to latch onto, he rounds the goalkeeper and taps into an empty net.
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69 mins: Another long throw from Brown makes it into the box but it is headed out to the edge of the area where Brannagan is waiting. The midfielder sends a looping volley at goal that fails to trouble Turner.
Why is David Platt at the match? I thought he was out of professional football.
67 mins: Moore whacks into the back of Vieira as he tries to chest down the ball. I would describe that as a League One challenge there. I think that deserves a booking simple due to needless use of force.
65 mins: Robinson and Craig Short are plotting on the sidelines as they look to find a way back into the match.
GOAL! Oxford 0-1 Arsenal (Elneny, 63)
Anderson catches Martinelli on the knee to give Arsenal a free-kick in a dangerous position on the left. Vieira swings the ball into the box and Elneny is there to head home from six yards.
Updated
61 mins: Tierney and Lokonga are off, Xhaka and Zinchenko on.
61 mins: Gabriel goes down due to Taylor wrapping his arm around the defender’s neck. The Brazilian is understandably unhappy.
Brown goes in the book for pulling down Saka.
Arsenal are planning some changes …
59 mins: Brown, who has a really long thrown, launches the ball into the box but Tomiyasu is there to meet it with his head. The full-back crosses the ball in next time but Gabriel is there on this occasion to clear.
57 mins: Saka curls a corner in to the front post, forcing McGinty to come through bodies to punch to prevent the ball going straight in.
Some bad news from the car park in Oxford: the hi-viz brigade have turned up to move people on from watching the match on top of a van.
55 mins: A direct ball over the top gets Arsenal up the pitch. Vieira gets hold of it and flicks the ball to Saka, who cuts inside and shoots beyond McGinty but Bate is on the line to stop the shot.
53 mins: “There’s nothing happening in the middle of the park for Arsenal,” suggests Charles Antaki. “Lokonga is doing a very thin impersonation of Granit Xhaka, and Elneny just can’t do the take, turn and distribute that makes Partey so influential. Changes?”
Things do not seem to be improving.
51 mins: Martinelli shows some skill on the left to turn Anderson inside and out but his cross is straight at a yellow shirt. The ball goes behind but the officials give a throw-in for some reason. Tierney launches it and Anderson clears.
49 mins: Brown sends a hopeful pace that goes between two Arsenal defenders, allowing Taylor a chance of reaching it but Turner comes out quickly to smother his toe-poke.
Updated
47 mins: Nketiah drives for the area and has options either side; he could play in Vieira on his right but fails to do so and eventually the danger is alleviated. Arsenal’s decision making is poor.
Second half
Here we go again!
We have a broad appeal.
@Will_Unwin Oxford fan in Australia here. Tuning in with my Arsenal supporting son. Football’s the winner here this morning💛💙 #OxfordUnited #FACup #oxfordvsarsenal
— aleksw (@aleksw11) January 9, 2023
“Why a harsh penalty?” asks Tim Stappard. “It was a penalty nowadays. Arsenal look rubbish.”
I just think his arm has to go down like that to break his fall.
Mary Waltz wants to take the positives out of that half: “Keeping a clean sheet against the Gunners, even for just one half, is a small victory for Oxford. They will lose but they have to be happy.”
I would like to apologise for suggesting that Arsenal looked half decent at one point.
Andy ‘not that one’ Flintoff: “Re Stuart Campbell at 38 mins - as soon as the referees clamp down on unsporting behaviour (shouting at assistants, arguing with the ref, diving etc), they get pilloried for victimising players, when all they’re doing is enforcing the laws of the game, so they can’t really win. Admittedly, it would help if the various FAs supported them in doing so, rather than back down as soon as there’s any blowback.”
Half time: Oxford 0-0 Arsenal
We are yet to have a shot on target.
45 mins: One minute added on.
44 mins: A long Tierney throw is flicked on to Nketiah inside the six-yard box but he mistimes his shot and volleys the ball nowhere near the net.
42 mins: Martinelli gets the ball off Anderson on the halfway and looks to sprint away. He makes it to the edge of the box but the defender gets back to him and performs a perfect tackle.
40 mins: Arsenal seem to be getting a little frustrated with themselves at their inability to threaten the Oxford goal. We are yet to have a shot on target.
38 mins: Samuel Campbell ponders: “Although I think that probably could have been a penalty why is the referee allowing the Arsenal players and Gabriel in particular who will have run from centre half, to surround him and get in his face like that. Start handing out cards and it will soon stop. For some reason the powers that be in football seem to want to encourage this behaviour.”
I suspect the lack of VAR will have Arsenal more keen to put pressure on the referee.
Updated
36 mins: Lokonga thwacks a shot at goal but it hits Moore on the arm and goes out for a corner. It would be a harsh penalty but that does not stop the Arsenal players surrounding the ref. There is, however, no VAR tonight.
34 mins: Tierney drives from the left flank into the box, laying it off to Saka, who can’t find space to shoot and sends it back to Vieira to put in a bad cross.
32 mins: McGinty takes a free-kick, slipping over in the process, but it does make it to Taylor in the box; he shoots from a tight angle and it goes wide, although he wants a corner that the officials are unwilling to give.
30 mins: Although Arsenal are not at their fluid best, I get the feeling they will get a goal before half time and go on to win by two or three.
We have out first viewing of fans watching from the top of a van in the car park. Lovely stuff.
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28 mins: Saka is booed the next time he gets the ball thanks to his rolling around. He makes it into the box but that man Brown blocks his cross to end the danger.
“What with your Romanian in-laws, are you fluent in Romanian, Will?” asks Joe Pearson. You will be shocked to hear my Romanian is awful.
26 mins: Saka is down holding his ankle after Brown nips in to beat the Arsenal winger to the ball, catching him in the process. He eventually gets up.
Alan Baverstock points out: “Marcus McGuane there in midfield for Oxford, once the future of Arsenal, and then the first Englishman to play for Barcelona since Gary Lineker.”
He gave it a go abroad, even going on loan to the Netherlands but decided to come back to the UK.
Updated
24 mins: Vieira is sloppy in the middle of the park and is dispossessed. The ball is moved to the edge of the box and Brannagan eventually has a shot but it is blocked. Arsenal really need to be smarter and quicker in possession.
22 mins: Oxford have a nice spell of possession in the vicinity of the opposition box but cannot find a gap in the Arsenal defence.
Lucian Stănescu emails about Oxford’s Stephan Negru. “more on names: what better way to underline your dual citizenship than going for an Irish first name and a Romanian/Moldavian family name? (in Romania/Moldova you would have spelled that Ștefan.).
“Other than that, go Arsenal!”
Multumesc Lucian.
20 mins: Chants of “boring, boring Arsenal” comes from the home fans. The Gunners might just up their game soon.
“Is Turner simply the best goalkeeper on the pitch tonight?” suggests Admir Pajic. “If Arteta replaces Rob Holding with an eventual match-winner, would that mean Holding’s out for a hero?”
I will leave you to work those out.
18 mins: Arsenal are switching play with ease and are starting to dominate proceedings.
“Is there a story behind Arsenal players not having names on their shirts?” asks David Sweet.
Yes, they are for the ‘No More Red’ campaign against youth violence.
16 mins: Martinelli pings the ball across the pitch to Saka who waits for Tomiyasu on the overlap but his driven cross is collected by McGinty.
14 mins: Tierney launches a long throw into the area, it is flicked on into the six-yard box but is volleyed clear from the middle of the goalmouth.
12 mins: Arsenal win a couple of corners in quick succession on the left. Vieira is in charge of them and forces two good headers from Brown to clear the danger.
10 mins: The stadium seems pretty subdued. One would think the fans are needed to get the players going in a cup tie. I was at Chesterfield on Saturday and the home support was pretty relentless.
Updated
8 mins: Murphy gets into space on the right and chips a ball into the six-yard box but Turner comes to collect and releases it early to start a counter. A foul on the halfway line stops the attack.
6 mins: Oxford are passing the ball around pretty well and do not seem fazed by Arsenal press.
4 mins: Arsenal give the ball away on the edge of their own box, McGuane tries to take it into the area but his touch sends it to Turner, who gladly collects. Arsenal need to switch on.
2 mins: The pitch looks a touch patchy, which might explain Oxford’s Long passing the ball straight out for a throw-in in his own half.
Kick off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!
“Fabio Vieira is not going to get many chances to show that he could be a reasonable understudy for Martin Ødegaard, so he’d better make a good showing tonight,” writes Charles Antaki. “In games so far he’s ranged from cool to tepid to slightly warm in patches. A touch or two on the thermostat would do him a lot of good tonight.”
The players are out on the pitch!
More on names. This time from Jeff Sachs: “Yoav in Hebrew means God is the father And the name represents leadership and charisma.”
Sergei Nirenburg emails regarding Yoav Sade: “The spelling is playing games with us. SaDE(H) means field in Hebrew. Quite a few of very famous people in the history of Israel had this name.”
Is this nominative determinism?
Karl Robinson: “I think when the draw was made I said I wanted a team that would capture the community.
“We do like to dominate possession of the ball but I am not sure we will be able to do that tonight. We do not compromise, we want to be the best version of ourselves.
“When you play in these games you want to play against the best players.”
How many will be watching from a car roof?
The Guardian’s Karen Carney is in the studio. I am not sure her next column will be about Oxford.
“Can you comment on whether or not Oxford substitute Sade is a smooth operator?” asks Peter Oh.
With a first name like Yoav, I reckon they are as smooth as they come.
“Burgers and Fries? I thought you folks insisted on calling them ‘Chips’. What gives?” asks Joe Pearson. (Peter Oh basically sent the same email but seconds later).
Huge American following in Oxford.
Get in the mood for the game with Nick Ames’ chat with Steve Perryman. I would have interviewed Ray Houghton personally, but each to their own.
That is a pretty strong Arsenal team. No shortage of regular starters in team and plenty more ammunition on the bench.
Starting lineups
Oxford United: McGinty, Anderson, Moore, Long, Brown, McGuane, Bate, Brannagan, Bodin, Taylor, Murphy
Subs: Eastwood, Fleming, Findlay, Johnson, Goodrham, Negru, Wildschut, Sade, O’Donkor
Arsenal: Turner, Tomiyasu, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney, Elneny, Lokonga, Vieira, Saka, Martinelli, Nketiah
Subs: Hein, White, Zinchenko, Party, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Marquinhos, Butler-Oyedeji
Hello
There have been a few shocks already in the third round. League Two Stevenage have dumped out Aston Villa, while League One’s Sheffield Wednesday have sent Newcastle packing, not to mention Wrexham downing Coventry.
Tonight we have another chance of an upset. Oxford are hosting the best team in the country, Arsenal. A win for Karl Robinson’s side would be the greatest turn up for the books in this year’s competition thus far, mainly thanks to how well Mikel Arteta’s side are doing.
Oxford are set for a season of mid-table mediocrity. They currently sit 15th in the third tier but they will be backed by the majority of the three-sided Kassam Stadium, with a few stragglers expected to be on top of vans in the car park to get a glimpse of the Premier League leaders in town.
The good news for Oxford is that Arsenal will make some changes to give a few fringe players a chance to show what they can do in a pressurised environment. Some might not fancy a cold night in Oxford and could be caught out by their lesser opponents. Some, however, will be desperate to prove they are good enough to play regularly in the Premier League and that should worry Oxford.
Let’s hope for a cracker.
Kick-off: 8pm GMT.
